If we beat Everton, and Manchester United fail to beat Spurs in the early kick-off, we’ll be crowned Premiership champions. We would become only the eleventh team in English football history to have successfully defended the title, and the first London club to win back-to-back Premierships*.
Saturday’s clinical win over Bolton finally dispelled any lingering doubts created by the disappointing 0-0 draw with Birmingham City; last weekend’s hammering of the Hammers and United’s failure to beat bottom side Sunderland on Good Friday means there’s now an air of inevitability to the title race: we can sit back and enjoy the final four games of the season.
Jose Mourinho continued with a 4-4-2 formation for the majority of the game at the Reebok Stadium, employing a midfield diamond of Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Joe Cole; and a striking partnership of Hernan Crespo and Didier Drogba. Again it seemed to work well. It’s conceivable that Mourinho will start with the same eleven; it’s equally conceivable that he’ll make a number of changes and switch formation. Only time will tell.
Prediction: Last season we clinched the title at the Reebok with three games still to play; this season there’s the possibility of repeating that feat, but this time at Stamford Bridge. Obviously it’s dependent on other factors, namely United failing to win their game. In simple terms we require four points from four games, and there’s no reason why we cannot pick up three of those later today. 3-0.
Related links:
- Winning the only option for ambitious Mourinho
- Mourinho on title timetable
- Lampard: We want to win it with our fans
- Mourinho taunts United as ‘first of the also-rans’
Chelsea 3 – 0 Everton · Update
Still on the brink… See Lampard, Drogba and Essien’s goals here (downloadable zip files).
Read Jonathan‘s Easter story here.
Match reports: BBC Sport; Sky Sports; ESPNSoccernet; Official Chelsea FC Website; Daily Telegraph; The Times; The Guardian; The Independent.
Related links:
- Reaction: Mourinho calls for fan power
- Chelsea left with one last point to prove
- Cech upbeat over leg damage